Soap stock acid oil price launch: frequently asked questions 

Fastmarkets launches a soap stock acid oil (SSAO) price assessment in Europe’s biggest trading hub – Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp (ARA), aiming to increase transparency in the biofuel feedstocks market, particularly in the niche advanced feedstocks category. The first price assessment is scheduled to go live on May 8.

What is soap stock acid oil and how does it fit into the renewable energy supply chain? 

The vegetable oil refining process creates various by-products, including soap stocks, which come as a result of neutralization, with alkali used to remove free fatty acids (FFA) from the oils. 

Soap stocks are then treated with sulphuric and phosphoric acids to become SSAO, rich in FFA. 

This biofuel feedstock is considered advanced in a number of European countries, with producers developing SSAO supply chains from South America and Africa to ensure feedstock availability to meet European biofuel mandates. 

Why is it the right time to launch an SSAO price assessment? 

Demand for SSAO and other niche feedstocks increased following recent restrictions for palm oil mill effluent (POME) exports from Indonesia, which have until recently been a key advanced feedstock for biodiesel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in the Netherlands and a handful of other countries in European Union. 

Monitoring SSAO prices helps market participants understand supply-demand dynamics and assess competitiveness in the renewable fuels industry among a range of feedstocks and allows them to manage risk associated with sudden price movements. 

Who should be interested in the launch? 

This launch will be useful for a wide range of market participants across the biofuel industry, including feedstock suppliers, traders, biofuel producers, vegetable oil crushers as well as financial institutions.  

What is the methodology behind Fastmarkets’ SSAO spot price assessment? 

Fastmarkets’ soap stock acid oil cif Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp spot price is a weekly price assessment following the Fastmarkets’ pricing calendar. It adheres to IOSCO principles to ensure high standards in price reporting. The assessment process involves expert reporters who collect data on spot trades, bids, offers and cross-check rumoured deals or movements in related commodities. Data are analysed and reviewed through multiple stages before publication to ensure transparency and accuracy. 

Who can I reach out to if I have further questions? 

For more details, contact pricing.ags@fastmarkets.com

What to read next
Strong demand pushed European biofuel feedstock prices further up during the week ending Thursday March 19, with sources reporting used cooking oil (UCO) trading at a €20 per tonne premium to last week’s levels, while category 3 animal fat prices moved up by €5-20 per tonne depending on the grade.
The biofuels market is transitioning from rapid growth to a focus on margin optimization, carbon intensity differentiation, and regulatory compliance, driven by low-carbon policies in the US and EU that are reshaping feedstock demand, trade flows, and pricing dynamics.
Fastmarkets proposes to discontinue daily price assessments for Rapemeal FOB ARAG RMP € per mt, Sunoil CPT Ukraine Danube $ per mt; Corn FOB Ukraine Handy $ per mt; and Corn FOB Ukraine Handy Premium c$ per bu.
Fastmarkets discontinued its weekly price assessments for AG-TLW-0028 Category 3 bone fat, high grade, 5% ffa, 98%, max 200 ppm polyethylene, ddp Northwest Europe and AG-TLW-0029 Category 3 pure beef tallow, 10% ffa, 99%, ddp Northwest Europe on Friday March 20.
Crude palm oil (CPO) and soyoil futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) extended gains on Thursday March 12, as it continued to track strength in related vegoils and energy markets. The highs in CPO reached earlier in the day eased off by the day’s close.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ AG-PLM-0019 Refined bleached deodorised (RBD) palm olein assessment for March 16 was delayed due to a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.